Knife or instrument for killing poultry



April 1s 192s. 158mm@ A. MaCALLJSTEF KNIFE 0N INSTRUMENT FOR KILLING POULTRY Filed may 4, 1925 Small cross vein cleft 'In 'the roof moulhlw Cut Jugular vain 6 Aie/Yandel MacAIlister IN VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. i3, i926,

UNITEB STATES insane PATENT FFEQE.

KNIFE OR INSTRUMENT FOR KILLING POULTRY.

Application led May 4, 1925. Serial No. 27,770.

Tou/.ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be 1t known that I, ALEXANDER Mac- ALLIsTER, a citizen of Dominion of Canada, Y

and resident of Brownsburg, in the county of Argenteuil and Province of Quebec., Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knives or `instruments for Killing Poultry, of which the followingl is a specification.

This invention appertains generally to knives or instruments for killing fowl and eomprehends the provision of a` simple, compact, durable and sanitary instrument of this character embodyin a brain lobe piercer and jugular vein incisionlmife associated in proper relation for scientific killing.

Much of the poultry exposed for sale on the markets especially in the smaller centres, is unsightly as well as poor inA quality, .he best.l fatted bird is easily spoiled by improper killing. Torn skin and bruises partially account' for poor condition, but the responsibility for most of it lies with the incomplete removal of blood. The clear bright color of iesh which the consumer demands, and which every poultry dresser cndeavours to obtain, is secured only when the bird is properly stuck and bled.

rhe operation of sticking or piercing the brain to kill spares the bird the torture of slowly bleeding to death. A thrust of the knife to the brain .instantly renders the bird unconscious and insensible to pain. The method is humane, it is also to a kgreat advantage to the picker, for when properly done, the muscles are paralyzed and the feathers pull easily.

Stic/cmg to kill.

There are three lobes of brain ina birds skull. In one, the smallest and farthest back of these, centre the nerves, which control the feather muscles. This lobe lies at the very base of the skull, just above the U- shaped depression, which admits the spinal its extremity. ln this position, the instrunient lies .1r-.iriver between the eyes @ad Parallel to the upper neck. A common mistake made by the inexperienced in their i'irst attempts to stick to kill is starting the knife too far forward causing it to hit the middle instead of the rear lobe of the brain.

There are two large blood vessels or jugular veins which run the entire length of the chickens neck, one on either side, while just behind the ears and near to the base of the skull, there is a cross vein which connects the two larger veins referred to. From if l. of the drawings, it will be seen that this smaller vein does not run straight across, but that` the junction on the left side is nearer the ear than is that on the right side. This fact is made use of in making the cincision to bleed .forone cut through that junction point, which is nearer the ear-that.is, the one on the left side-causes a copious flow of blood and draws both veins.

The exact location of the cut is hack of the ear, a little 'to the left ofthe median line as the head is held upside down in the hand, and very close to the baseofthe skull. A severe out, or one too far back, mangles the tissue and allows the blood to clot and form a discolored area in the neck near the head, instead of causing the blood to run freely from the mouth. Y Y

Cognizant of the above, itis quite obvious that great care must be exercised in stick- `ing to kill and cutting to bleed if the operation is to be properly performed.

Tlilith the above in view, my invention has for its object the provision of a simple, compact and durable killing knife or instrument, having a brain lobe piercer anda jugular vein incision knife, mounted upon a handle having alongitudinal beak guiding groove in the upper edge thereof in alignment with said brain lobe piercer, so that the instrument may be effectively used, even by a novice in killing, in that when the instrument is thrust into the birds mouth, the beak of the bird sliding in said groove will serve to guide the instrument properly.

The invention is further characterized iu that by the use of the saine, the sticking to kill and cutting t bleed operations may not only be effected simultaneously, but the incision of the jugular' rein at the proper junction as heretofore set forth, may be made without unnecessarily lacerating or mangling the tissue and causing the blood to clot and form a discolored area in the neck near the head.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a killing knife` a brain lobe piercer and a jugular rein incision knife, the said jugular Vein incision knifebeing laterally o tfset with respect to said brain lobe piercer, so that when the instrument is thrust into the mouth of the bird, the jugular rein incision knife will be properly guidedt-o serer the jugular veins at the junction of the same and the smaller cross rein heretofore referred to.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a knife of the character set forth, a hinged jugular rein incision knife retained by a spring in closed position, and free to recede from said brain lobe piercer aforesaid, when the same strikes the boite of the birds skull thereby obviating unnecessary chilling and impairment of the jugular vein incision knife.

in connection With the foregoing, the .invention is further characterized in that the jugular vein incision knife may be swung back from the brain lobe piercersuiiiciently to enable proper cleansing and sharpening of the brain lobe piercer and the jugular vein incision knife.

A further object of the invention is to provide an instrument of the cl aracter set forth, which may be formed principally of stamped parts, so that the saine may be produced at a Very low cest.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in View which Will appear more fully as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of elements hereinafter more spec.. ically set forth. claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the present application, and in which:

Fig. l is a a plan View illustrating the upper portion of a foWls mouth, the saine appearing as if the lower portion of the beak were ren'ioved, illustratingthe relation of the cleft in the roof of the mouth, the jugula veins, and tl'ie Vsnrall cross rein referred to.

Fig. 2 is an el :ration illustrating the heinr of a fowl and the position in which the instrument constituting my present inrei'ition is thrust into the mouth of the fon'l for killing purposes.

Fig. E3 is a side elevation of' the instrument, and

Fig. Li is a top View thereof.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

My invention comprises a handle formed of tiro sections 5 and @preferably stan'iped, each of Which is formed With a channel along part of its upper edge, so that when the sections are assembled, a beak guide 7, best shown in Fig. d, is provided. t3 designates the brain lobe piercer proifided with the offset extension t), which is secured between the sections of said handle by the rivets 10.

lhe jugular Vein incision knife includes a shoulder il which is hinged between the sections of said handle on the pintle l2 which extends thcretln'ough. The cutting blade or portion 13 is laterally offset as clearly shown in Fig. et, with respect to said shoulder ll and brain lobe piercer 8. A flat abutting edge 14 is formed on the shoulder ll, s0 that the same u'ill abut the .tlat lower edge 15 of the extension D when the jugular vein incision knife is closed or is in the position shown in Fig. 3 in full lines. it is held in this position by means of the fiat spring 1G which is connected by means of a looped end to the rivet l? which ei;- tends through said handle. A rivet 18 also extending through said handle, serves to retain said spring flexed, so that the arcuate extremity l5) thereof, will at all times be tensioned against the like shaped extension Q0 on the shoulder l1. The shoulder li is also provided with an inclined face 2l which abuts the face 18 of the extension 9 on the brain lobe piercer for the purpose of limiting the downward movement of said jugular vein incision knife beyond the position shown by dot-ted lines in Fig.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that the jugular Yein incision knife is yieldingly constrained in close proxin'iity to the brain lobe piercer 8 by means of a flat spring 1G, yet n'lay recede therefrom, should said jugular vein incision knife strike the bone of the fowls skull When killing the large fon'l such as capo-ns and turkeys, Without dulling or inipairing the saine. Furthermore, when in extended position, the brain lobe piercer and jugular vein incision knife are in such position that they may be cleansed and sharpened Without interfering one with the other.

The fowl to be killed is hung up by the feet, so that its head depends to about the operators Waist. The head is then gripped with the left hand and the beak is pressed slightly at the sides, so that the fowl will open the same. The upper portion of the beak is then placed in the groove i' clearly shown in 2 and the instrument held parallel with the upper neel' portion of the bird, the p .int of the brain lobe piercer lying in the back of the cleft, in the roof of the mouth of the bird. A straight inward thrust will cause the brain lobe piercer to pass through the soft bone-likestrueture of lli.)

lill) the birds skull and penetrate the rear brain lobe in which the nerves' controlling the muscles are located. "W hen this is properly done, the fowl will squawk. The jugular vein incision knife will pass over the bone of the skull at the back of the throat and drop onto the jugular veins at the junction of the same and the small cross vein, making a eut therethrough as indicated in Fig. l. rll`his cut will be sufficiently large to permit a copious flow of blood from both jugular veins but will not lacerate or mangle the tissue to such an extent as to cause clotting of blood and formation of a discoloured area in the neck of the bird.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that by virtue of the groove 7 at the top edge of the instrument in alignment with the brain lobe piercer 8 and the jugular vein incision knife in lateral offset position as illustrated and described, one inexperienced in killing poultry may accomplish the same with efficiency equal to the skilled killer, as it is merely necessary to place the portion of the beak in the groove 7 and thrust the instrument into the mouth parallel therewith, as described.

The instrument, due to its simplicity, may be manufactured at a very moderate cost, and the absence of cumbersome handles and bird holding means renders it very easy to' handle; abrain lobe piercer extending from said handle in alignment with said beak guiding groove; and a jugular vein incision knife extending from said handle beneath said brain lobe piercer.

2. An instrument of the character set forth including a handle, a longitudinal beak guiding groove in the upper edge of said handle; a brain lobe piercer extending from said handle in alignment with said beak guiding groove; and a jugular vein incision knife, extending from said brain lobe piercer, the cutting extremity of which is laterally offset with respect to said brain lobe piercer.

3.1m instrument of the character set forth including a handle, a4 longitudinal beak guiding groove in the upper edge of said handle; a brain lobe piercer extending from said handle in alignment with said beak guiding groove; and a jugular Avein incision knife, hinged to said handle extending therefrom beneath said brain lobe piercer, adapted to be hinged back with respect to said brain lobe piercer for cleansing and sharpening purposes.

Il. An instrument yof the character set forth including a handle, a longitudinal beak guiding groove in. the upper edge of ,said handle, a brain -lobe piercer extending from said handle in alignment with said beak guiding groove; and a jugular vein incisionknife, hinged to said handle and extending therefrom beneath said brain lobe piercer, the cutting. extremity of which is laterally offset with respect to said brain lobe piercer. i

5. An linstrument of the character set forth including a handle, a longitudinal beak guiding groove in the upper edge of said handle; a brain lobe piercer extending from said handle in alignment with said beak guiding groove; and a jugular vain incision knife hinged to said handleand extended therefrom beneath said brain lobe piercer, adapted to recede from said brain lobe piercer when the same strikes the bone of the birds skull at the back of the throat;

and a spring in said handle for tensioning said jugular' vein incision knife towards said brain lobe piercer when said jugular vein incision knife is in closed relation.

6. An instrument of the character set vforth including a handle, a brain lobe piercer extending from said handle; and a jugular vein incision knife, hinged to said handle and extending therefrom beneath said brain lobe piercer.

7. An instrument of the character set forth including a handle, a brain lobe piercer extending from said handle; and a jugular vein incision knife, hinged to said handle and extending therefrom beneath f said brain lobe piercer, the cutting extremity of which is laterally offset with respect to said brain lobe piercer. Y

8. An instrument of the character set forth including a handle, a brainlobe piercer extending from said handle; and a jugular vein incision knife hinged to said handle and extending therefrom beneath said brain lobe piercer, adapted to recede from said brain lobe piercer when the same strikes the bone of the birds skull at the back of the throat; and a spring for tensioning said jugular vein incision knife towards said brain lobe piercer.

9. An instrument of the character set forth including a handle formed of two stamped sections, each having a channel portion along part of the upper edge thereof,

'so that when the sections are assembled, said channels gro-ove. Y

10. An instrument of the character set forth including a handle, a longitudinal beak guiding groove in the upper edge of said handle; and a brain lobe piercer ex will provide a beak guiding tending from'said handle in alignment with said beak guiding groove.

11. An instrument of the character set forth including a handle, a brain lobe piercer extending fromA one end of said handle substantially in alignment therewith, and a insular .wie incision knife extending from' said handle beneath said brain lobe piercer in spaced relation.

l2. An instrument of the character set forth including a handle; means for guid- 5 ing the upper section of the beak of a fowl along` the top of said handle; a brain lobe piercer extending from Said handle substantially in alignment with the top thereoi; and a jugular vein incision knife extending from said handle beneath said brain lobe 10 piercer in spaced relation.

In testimony whereof, I affix my Signature.

ALEXANDER MACALLISTER. 

